


Tale of the Turtle Ducks

by moegan



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence, F/M, Zutara, i'm all about those coming full circle fics so be ready for that, short fic most likely, so basically everything is the same except for what i change :-), so i'll actually finish it lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2018-09-27 19:30:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10042466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moegan/pseuds/moegan
Summary: “A long time ago, around the time of the first Avatar, there were animals roaming the land of the Spirit World. They were not of the human world, and the Avatar made friends with them. They had hard, green shells that covered their feathered bodies. None of the other beings in the Spirit World were concerned with naming the other beings there, but Avatar Wan wanted to be able to refer to everything as something, and so he named these animals Turtle Ducks."





	1. fairytales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tell the story again, mother!

“C’mon, mom, do we  _ have  _ to hear that stupid story again?”

 

There’s a slight thump against Azula’s rear end as she glares into the pond. She whimpers, her lower lip jutting out at the action received from her mother. Zuko finds it humorous, but refuses to snicker for his own safety. He sighs, dipping his toes into the water of the turtle duck pond. 

 

“Zuko likes this story,” Ursa responds, raking her fork through the spicy shrimp flakes she has in a small dish.

 

Azula crosses her arms over her chest, pouting like the four year-old she is. “I like the story about the dragons that daddy tells. But everyone else refuses to tell that one.”

 

“It’s because the dragons kill everyone!” Zuko argues, throwing his hands up in the air. “The turtle ducks are nice.”

 

Ursa rolls her eyes and puts the small tin of food on the ground, far enough away from the turtle ducks that they can’t smell it. 

 

_ “A long time ago, around the time of the first Avatar, there were animals roaming the land of the Spirit World. They were not of the human world, and the Avatar made friends with them. They had hard, green shells that covered their feathered bodies. None of the other beings in the Spirit World were concerned with naming the other beings there, but Avatar Wan wanted to be able to refer to everything as something, and so he named these animals Turtle Ducks. _

 

_ He would come to the pond in the Spirit World every morning and feed them whatever he could find, but eventually he learned that they favored insects and dried up meat that he had ground into flakes. They grew fond of him, swimming at the pond’s edge every morning at sunrise. _

 

_ He would feed them and tell them stories even though they never spoke back. During his time in the Spirit World, he learned much from the turtle ducks. He learned patience as well as hope. He learned about love.” _

 

Ursa grins down at Zuko, “What do you know about turtle ducks, Zuko?”

 

“They always find their mate,” he beams up at her, bright golden eyes glimmering in the afternoon sunlight.

 

She nods, tousling his hair with her dainty fingers, “That’s right.”

 

_ “The special thing about turtle ducks is that they all have a bond, one with another. No matter the circumstances, they always found their mate. One season, the Avatar noticed a few turtle ducks were missing and a few others had been added. They never left the pond, always stayed with another turtle duck. The Avatar did not understand originally. He was confused, for why would any turtle duck want to leave this pond? He was feeding the animals every day, singing to them and playing music.. _

 

_ Then, a few weeks later, those turtle ducks would return, but there would be more of them. They brought with them turtle ducklings. And when those turtle ducks returned, others would leave to find their mates. It was an endless cycle, as turtle ducks would leave and come back with mates and offspring.  _

 

_ One day the Avatar had an idea. He picked up a turtle duck as he normally would, brought it to his chest and petted it until it had fallen asleep. It’s mate was tending to her babies, plucking out their old feathers and feeding them from the leaves of the plants that grew in the water. The Avatar snuck away with the turtle duck and hid him in his room by the fire so the turtle duck would stay warm. Seven days the Avatar did this.” _

 

Zuko’s voice is like an echo, “Seven days the turtle duck returned to his mate.”


	2. part one: inchoate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and so the story of prince zuko begins
> 
> inchoate: just begun and not fully formed or developed; rudimentary

The wind whipping his hair into his eyes burns a little, but the fire that never dies inside of his body keeps him warm.

 

He turns to his uncle, “Finally. Uncle, do you realize what this means?”

 

His gaze settles on the man who is peculiar but holds a special place in his heart. He’s sitting cross-legged on the floor of the ship with a pai sho game laid out in front of him. There’s a jade colored teacup in his hands, hovering close to his thin lips.

 

“I won’t get to finish my game?” Uncle’s tone is jovial, a smirk tilting his top lip. He glances up at his nephew, who is obviously frustrated by his answer. The young prince stalks back and forth, fire glowing within his palms, thoughts whirring in his head.

 

“It means,” he turns to face his uncle once more, “my search - it’s about to come to an end.”

 

Iroh groans, tossing his head back. The gray hair that hangs at the back of his head brushes his neck. His nephew begins rambling again, “That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It _has_ to be him!”

 

“ _Or,_ ” Iroh interjects, “it’s just the celestial lights. We’ve been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don’t want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit,” he gestures to the cushion on the opposite side of the pai sho table, “Why don’t you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?”

 

“ _I don’t need any calming teaI”_ Zuko explodes, throwing his arms about in rage. Iroh can’t help but notice how much he resembles his father when he’s angry. He continues with ferocity, “I _need_ to capture the Avatar!”

 

He thrusts himself towards the crew members, “Helmsman! Head a course for that light!”

 

As the ship begins to roar with fire from below, it forges forward at a faster rate. The biting wind hurts Zuko’s face, but he’s focused and can hardly feel it anyway. Iroh watches his nephew as the young boy walks over to the side of the ship and looks over into the water.

 

Zuko sees chunks of ice floating in the distance and for some reason he imagines a turtle duck sitting atop one of the mounds bobbing in the water. A smile cracks through his demeanor as the image of his mother feeding them fire flakes materializes before him.

 

And then he remembers the heat.

 

Suddenly the turtle ducks don’t matter.

 

-

 

He holds his ground as the ship slams into the ice barrier in front of them. He scoffs, looking down at the people below. He’s unsure of how anyone could ever call this place a home. There’s so much _white._

 

They dock the ship and the ladder protrudes from the deck, slamming down into the ice below. Steam rises in front of Zuko as he and Uncle Iroh walk forward. He holds himself upright and rigid, as a good prince should always do. He imagines that the look on his face is terrifying to any Southern Water Tribe member.

 

He almost smirks at the thought.

 

Zuko’s eyes fall over the entire crowd and then settle on a girl. She looks to be younger than him, but she holds herself strong in front of a small group of children, shrouding them in her make-believe safety.

 

“Where are you hiding him?” he demands, his upper lip curled in a snarl.

 

No one answers him, and the fire inside of him burns brighter. Sometimes he wonders how his ribs have not turned to ashes. He grabs an elderly woman and holds her towards the villagers, “He would be about this age? Master of all elements?”

 

Again, no one responds. He throws the old woman back to her people and with a cry of frustration he throws a spurt of flames over the top of the villagers heads. He notices some of them wince, and it only makes his pride inflate.

 

“I _know_ you’re hiding him!”

 

One of the people, a boy about his age with face paint and a spear, charges towards him. Zuko easily flips him over his head and blasts at the kid with a flame licking out of his fingertips. Before he understands what has happened, a boomerang catches the corner of his eye and he barely dodges it.

 

Somewhere in the crowd, a young voice of a toddler shouts, “Show no fear!”

 

Before anything can escalate, a gust of air pushes everyone backward a few steps. Suprise pulls everyone’s voices out of their throats and they just look at him for a moment.

 

The boy standing in the wake of the wind smiles, “Hey Katara. Hey Sokka.”

 

Zuko stands with his hands and feet ready, a perfect firebending stance. He looks between the boy and the children he’s speaking to. His head tilts in an almost innocent way, “You’re the airbender?” His voice is indignant, “You’re the Avatar?”

  
And so the story begins.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i'm looking at transcripts of the show as i'm writing this to keep the dialogue and scenery similar, but i will be straying a bit from the actual show. yes, this is zutara. be patient. turtleducks always find their mate :-)
> 
> episodes referenced:   
> 1.01 boy in the iceburg  
> 1.02 the avatar returns


	3. part two: waldeinsamkeit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zuko has been defeated.
> 
> waldeinsamkeit: consists of two words - "wald", meaning forest, and ""einsamkeit", meaning loneliness or solitude; origin: german

He rubs the silk fabric of the necklace between his first finger and his thumb. Sometimes he wonders if he’ll ever get to the stage in life where something like this was even an option. Of course Fire Nation people did not carve for their loved ones, but the sentiment is all the same no matter the nation. 

 

“Nephew?” Iroh steps into his room.

 

Zuko doesn’t face his uncle, still fixated on the carvings within the stone attached to the necklace. “If you’re here to offer me tea or meditation or a game of pai sho, I’m not interested.”

 

General Iroh is not used to his nephew behaving so reticently. He steps forward and closes the metal door behind him. His hands are crossed together and rested on his rotund belly. Tilting his head, he looks at his nephew, “I found the tracker’s location, it’s only thirty minutes on foot from here. Shall we go now?”

 

“I suppose,” Zuko answers. “One step closer to the Avatar.”

 

He clutches the necklace in his hand, the stone cold against his heated palm, “One step closer to my honor.”

 

\- 

 

The bar is loud and obnoxious and it smells of body odor.

 

Zuko walks in anyways. 

 

Pushing aside those in front of him, he makes his way to where the Tracker is seated, arm wrestling another man three times her size. 

 

“I need to talk to you,” he demands from her, his voice strong. The shouting within the building doesn’t lessen and it is a nuisance to the Prince’s ears. He winces as he watches her struggling with the man across the table. 

 

“Well, if it isn’t my new friends,” the Tracker’s voice is haughty and her eyes do not waver from the opponent she is facing. Her lips curl into a devilish smirk, “Angry Boy and Uncle Lazy.”

 

Not even a second later she is throwing the man’s hand down on the other end of the table and coins are flying from every which way. 

 

“Your beast trashed my ship,” Prince Zuko has to raise his voice to be heard over the whooping and hollering as they congratulate her on winning the arm wrestling match. “You have to pay me back.”

 

The Tracker is pulling all the money from the table and air into her arms, a victor’s smile on her face. She barely glances up at Zuko, “Aw, I’d love to help you out, but I’m a little short on money.”

 

If it were any other time and place and Zuko wasn’t about to lose his temper, he’d laugh. Instead, he grips the table harder as he watches her shout, “Drinks on me!” 

 

Before she can put the cup of alcohol to her mouth, Zuko wraps his fingers forcefully around her wrist, “Money isn’t what I had in mind.”

 

Finally she agrees to help him, and follows him to the back of the bar while shots are being handed out to everyone else in the building. Zuko’s hand stays in his pocket as he rubs his thumb back and forth over the cool stone pendant. It’s almost calming to him. 

 

They stop beside her beast and Zuko forcefully pulls the necklace from his pocket and it dangles in the air before him, glinting in the moonlight. 

 

“I need you to find someone,” he tells the Tracker, his eye narrowed. 

 

“What happened?” the Tracker’s left eyebrow raises slightly, her tone buoyant. She chuckles, “Your girlfriend run off on you?”

 

Images of a dark-skinned girl donned in blue that could never rival her eyes flash before him, but he doesn’t hesitate with his answer. 

 

“It’s not the girl I’m after,” he tells her, taking the necklace back, holding it closer to his body. “It’s the bald monk she’s traveling with.”

 

The Tracker shrugs, seeming unconvinced, “Whatever you say.”

 

“If you find them,” Zuko tilts his head in her direction, “I’ll consider the damage to my ship paid for.”

 

She laughs before turning around, sticking her foot into the saddle. 

 

Iroh speaks up, “ _ Plus  _ we’ll pay your weight in gold!”

 

The Tracker smiles, gets down off of her beast and points her index finger towards Iroh’s chest, “Make it  _ your  _ weight, and we got a deal.”

 

Iroh laughs, as if the whole ordeal is a joke, “You got it.”

 

The Tracker snatches the necklace from Zuko’s clenched fist and puts it in front of her beast’s snout. His upper lip curls into a snarl and he would dart after her if he wasn’t in need of her services. 

 

Immediately the beast whips its head upward, sniffing the air. Zuko and Iroh climb onto its back and the Tracker cracks her whip near it’s face, urging it forward. 

 

Their search begins. 

 

-

 

It had to have been hours before they finally found Katara, split away from the Avatar. They steal the scrap of paper out of Katara’s pocket and the beast begins sniffing, but can’t quite understand where it needs to go.

 

Finally, the Avatar appears. 

 

And they fight, as per usual. Zuko feels the weight of the necklace in his pocket, the stone pressing against his hip. He kicks fire at the young bender, his eyes narrowed as he gauges his next attacks. After the Avatar and his friends slosh around buckets of perfume, the beast becomes disoriented and begins lashing out, mistakenly poisoning Uncle, Zuko, and the Tracker herself.

 

The Avatar makes it away, again. And as he leaves, the girl who can bend water at her will looks over her shoulder and waves at Zuko. He smirks, tilting an eyebrow. 

 

_ And so the game continues.  _

 

-

 

Zuko isn’t really sure at what point it becomes a game instead of a search. His life has been seeking the Avatar for so long, he wonders if there is any other facet to him other than this desire for fulfillment.

 

And then, he speaks the truth that has been buried in his heart for so long now, “There is no honor for me without the Avatar.”

 

“Zuko,” Iroh sighs. He shakes his head and crosses his fingers in his lap, “Even if you did capture the Avatar, I’m not so sure it would solve our problems, not now.”

 

That is when Zuko rises, feeling the embers in his heart begins to die out. All he has done for years now is track the Avatar, and now that he knows his Uncle believes there is not a chance, he feels as if his chest has been deflated.

 

“No, Zuko!” Iroh rushes to his nephew, grasping on desperately to his shoulders, as if he could push the point of his argument into Zuko’s skin, “You must  _ never  _ give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts! In the darkest times, hope is something you give to  _ yourself _ . That is the meaning of inner strength.”

 

Iroh knows by the look on his nephew’s face that his speech has done nothing to penetrate his depressed state. He is not surprised when Zuko walks out of the cave, and he is not surprised again a day later when Zuko states that they must part ways. 

  
In fact, Iroh goes so far as to hand him the reigns. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope you guys like this!! it's my first zutara try! i'm following transcripts of the show but i do not own the show, obviously. it will begin to deviate from the script very soon though :) remember the turtle ducks!! also, i would like to mention that the chapters will get longer as soon as i skip to the time slots that i need to be in. so don't worry it'll get better!
> 
> episodes referenced:   
> 1.15 bato of the watertribe  
> 2.05 avatar day


	4. part three: trouvaille

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> azula always lies, zuko knows this. so why did he let his guard down? why does the water bender have to save him?
> 
> trouvaille: a chance encounter with someone or something wonderful

 

The sun beats down on him mercilessly, but he follows the machine nonetheless. His heart is racing as they come to a city, abandoned and worn down. He hides in an alleyway as he watches his sister on the back of her beast; she taunts the Avatar with a smile that would shake the spirits.

 

“Alright,” Zuko hears the Avatar speak. He looks closer to see the darkness under the young boys eyes, and the way his fingers tremble around his staff. Now would be the perfect time to take him; he is weak, tired. “You’ve caught up with me! Now who  _ are  _ you and what do you want?”

 

It’s almost comedic, actually, that the Avatar hasn’t put the whole puzzle together yet. Azula seems to think so too, with the way she is laughing.

 

“You mean you haven’t guessed?” She smirks and puts her hands on her hips, “You don’t see the family resemblance? Well, here’s a hint:” Azula covers the left side of her face with her palm, imitating Zuko’s scar. She speaks in a deeper tone, never losing the grin on her lips, “ _ I must find the Avatar to restore my honor. _ ”

 

The embers that were dying in Zuko’s heart flame at the sound of her disrespectful tone. He pushes his fists down towards his hips, trying his hardest to restrain from exposing himself.

 

The Avatar looks unimpressed, so at least there is one victory, Zuko thinks. The young boy strains his thin neck, “So, what now?”

 

“Now,” Azula pauses, looking him up and down, “Now it’s over. You’re tired and have no place to go. You can run, but I’ll always catch you.”

 

The Avatar stands with his back straightened. Zuko thinks the boy has aged a hundred years.

 

“I’m  _ not  _ running.”

 

Azula giggles, “Do you really want to fight me?”

 

She gets into her stance and before the Avatar can respond, Zuko makes himself known. He thrusts his body between his sister and his prize, his feet steady and his arms set firm. His lips are drawn thin, “Yes, I really do.”

 

He hears his name called by the Avatar, and his sister’s surprised expression is a victory in it of itself.

 

And so, they fight. 

 

It is a battle between three, which is considerably more confusing. Every time he launches a bolt of fire at Azula, he has to turn and parry an attack from the Avatar. His feet are swift and he follows them as best he can, blasting and redirecting. He smirks as he throws Azula off of her feet, but it turns to a frown as he watches the Avatar slip away. 

 

Just as Azula goes to release a flame from her hand, a water whip slashes from behind her, catching her wrist and yanking her away from Aang. The flame is burnt to a crisp in the air, and Azula’s face turns sour. 

 

For some reason, Zuko can’t help but smile.

 

Katara’s brother joins the fight, and Zuko chases him to a rooftop. He throws a gust of flame towards the teenager and smirks as the boy with the boomerang has to flee behind a wall. Zuko runs and launches himself into the room, unfamiliar with the fact that there is not a floor to catch him.

 

“Ah!” he screams as he flails onto the rubble ten feet below.

 

He can feel bruises forming on his ribs, but he remembers his mother’s words:  _ That’s who you are, Zuko. Someone who keeps fighting. _

 

Somehow, that is all he needs to stand back up and continue to face his adversaries.

 

Even if the next thing that happens is Azula kicking him in the chest to send him flying out the boarded windows of the building.

 

The only good thing about fighting alone is you never have to worry about a partner getting hurt. Zuko can blast flames and breath fire any which way and it doesn’t matter who he hits. 

 

Until a shadow reaches over him.

 

He feels a hand on his clothing and he peels his eyes open only to see the last person he ever expected.

 

“ _ Uncle? _ ” he gasps.

 

“Get up!” Iroh orders, his voice brash. 

 

He helps Zuko to his feet, steadying him as the younger boy clutches his head. Iroh motions to where Azula is now fighting the Avatar, the waterbender and her brother, and the newest addition to their group: the earthbender who just so happens to be blind. 

 

He can’t help but notice the way he and the waterbender fight in sync. It’s almost as if they’re avoiding one another. 

 

They get Azula cornered, everyone with their elements or weapons at their fingertips. Zuko watches as her keen eyes look over everyone stood in front of her and he can’t help to see the cleverness he remembers from his childhood captured in her golden irises.

 

“I’m done, I know when I’ve been beaten,” Azula remarks, holding her hands in the air. Zuko can’t help that his eyes follow the movement. “You got me,” she continues, “a princess surrenders with honor.”

 

_ Azula always lies. Azula always lies. Azula always lies.  _

 

His entire world shatters as he watches the blue flames reach out from his sister’s sinister fingertips and lick at his uncle’s body.

 

Zuko finds himself screaming out in anguish, turned away from the battle. His eyes flick over his uncle and he feels his heart shattering inside of his chest. Zuko looks back to his sister, that familiar smirk painted perfectly on her thin lips. The searing heat that explodes from his fist would be enough to incinerate the entire town they’re in, but it isn’t enough to defeat Azula. Not with the help of the other benders. 

 

The prince quickly falls down on his knees before his incapacitated uncle. 

 

Iroh’s eyes are closed, his chest barely moving. 

 

“Get away from us!” he yells at the group forming behind him. He doesn’t care that the Avatar is about to fall over from sleep and is worn out from the battle. His molten irises dive to the waterbender, angry that she’s so close to him. 

 

“Zuko,” she reaches out, her eyes warm despite the cold blue color. “I can help.” 

 

“ _ Leave! _ ” he shouts, throwing a blast of fire over their heads. 

 

They do as he says, scurrying away from the abandoned town and towards Appa. Katara throws another saddened glance over her shoulder at Iroh, injured on the ground, and Zuko, emotionally unstable beside him. 

 

The sun is setting as they’re getting ready to leave, loading supplies onto Appa’s back. Katara pulls water from the river into a skin she keeps attached to her belt.

 

“I’m going back.”

 

Sokka turns and his jaw drops, an incredulous expression painted all over his features. Aang is the first to speak, “You can’t be serious, Katara? What if Zuko hurts you? Or uses you to hunt me?”

 

“Yeah, Sugar Queen,” Toph pipes up from her spot in the saddle. “What if-”

 

“Don’t go getting soft on me, Toph,” she interjects, trying to be light about the situation. They only just got back together as a group, and here she is trying to leave again. “We need rest any way. Appa needs a couple of hours without those crazy people on our tails. Why don’t we stay here for the night? He’s not shedding anymore and Azula won’t attack us again so quickly. Not when she thinks we’re all together.”

 

Sokka’s head droops, but he grabs his sleeping pack out of the saddle and slides down Appa’s leg, “Katara is right. It’s the right thing to do.”

 

“To heal the enemy?!” Aang spats. He throws his staff to the ground and floats like a cloud to the ground, his hands over his eyes. 

 

“Iroh isn’t the enemy,” Toph says quietly. She sighs, flapping her hands at Katara, telling her to go on, “It is the right thing to do, Princess. Just don’t get dead.”

 

“I won’t.”

 

-

 

When Zuko hears the feet, he doesn’t bother to swipe away the tears. 

 

“Azula,” his voice is defeated, “if you’ve come to gloat and take me away, at least give me a minute with Uncle. It’s the least you could do.”

 

“You’re right,” an entirely different voice speaks up, “it’s the least she could do. Doubt she would, though. So aren’t you glad it’s me instead?”

 

He turns his head to see the waterbender with her eyebrows raised and blue eyes wide with wonder. His fist curls and he notices her eyes follow the motion. The flame dies in his palm and he sighs. 

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

She crouches down a few feet away from the two, “I’m a healer. I can help.”

 

“And how do I know you won’t just kill us both?” Zuko parries, tilting his marred eyebrow. 

 

Katara doesn’t hesitate, “You know me better than that, Zuko.”

 

Zuko doesn’t say anything else, and Katara takes that as permission. She creeps closer to Uncle Iroh, her body next to Zuko’s. Ironically, she isn’t afraid of him. She maneuvers the water out of the container at her side with the mere movements of her hands. It is floating in midair before it encases her hands and then she presses her palms against the injured flesh of the older man.

 

She hears Zuko’s sharp intake of breath beside her, but it doesn’t deter her. Katara focuses on knitting the skin back together, feeling the blood flowing back through his body the way it is supposed to. 

 

It takes a few minutes because of how hot Azula’s fire blast had been; it had deeply injured Iroh. Katara’s hands pull away from him and she tucks the water back into her skin, closing the cap after she’s done. 

 

“He’ll be unconscious for a little while,” she explains to Zuko, looking down at the ground in front of her. “The wound was deep, but it should only leave a scar. Healing not only takes  a lot out of the healer, but also the healed. You’ll need to make camp here, so he can rest.”

 

“I don’t need you telling me what to do,” he mutters angrily, his fingers curling into fists in front of him. “I can take care of my uncle.”

 

She nods, understanding his misplaced anger. “I’m not telling you what to do, Zuko,” she answers him kindly, her voice quiet, “I’m just trying to help.”

 

It is quiet as they sit side-by-side. Katara is keenly aware of the heat radiating off of him. The night has settled in, so has the coolness in the absence of the sun. She feels strength in the night, though, and perhaps that’s how she was able to heal Iroh so quickly.

 

“Thank you,” his voice is a hoarse whisper.

 

Katara’s head jolts up at the phrase, “Y-You’re welcome.”

 

He swallows, “Azula always lies. I should’ve known.”

 

Katara reaches forward and puts a cool hand against his forearm, curling her fingers around him in the slightest. “There’s no way to read her mind, Zuko. You know that.” 

 

Surprisingly, he doesn’t yank away from her. He sighs, his shoulders sagging, “She told me I could come home in an attempt to capture me. Uncle almost got hurt then, too. Every time I’m involved, every time I mess up, he’s in the crossfire.”

 

He looks her dead in the eyes, “Aren’t you ever tired of creating collateral?”

 

“Yeah,” she murmurs, taking in a deep breath after the admission. “I am.”

 

“I wish things could go back to the way they were before the war,” Zuko admits, falling from bent knees to crossed legs. Katara’s hand falls away from him and she cradles her own fingertips in her lap. “My mother used to tell me stories about the nations living together. She would talk about the international festivals that would go on. I’ve only ever really seen the Fire Nation.”

 

She nudges him with her shoulder, “That’s a shame. You’ve missed a lot by not appreciating the South Pole.”

 

His forehead crinkles, “You mean that chunk of ice you call home?”

 

Katara giggles and he finds himself fond of the sound. She nods her head, “ _ Yes _ , that one. But really. I’ve discovered so much about the world since traveling with Aang. I can only hope you’ve dismissed your quest long enough to enjoy it a little bit too.”

 

“I’m trying,” he answers, looking down at his knees. His voice is heavy and she can only see his scarred eye. Something in her wants to reach out and touch it, but she knows her place. Zuko gnaws on his lip, “Maybe one day things will be different.”   
  


Katara stands, sensing that her time here is over. She squeezes Zuko’s shoulder, “One day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> episodes referenced:   
> 2.08 the chase


	5. part four: cromulent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's time to choose, zuko.
> 
> cromulent: appearing legitimate but actually being spurious

When Zuko was younger, he'd play knights and dragons with Azula. He would put on a fake helmet made of plaster and holster the sword Lu Ten fashioned for him out of wood. He was brave and curious, never backing down from a fight. 

 

He always lost, of course. Azula was the dragon. 

 

Most of the time she would singe his clothes or blow flames at him, proclaiming that she killed the puny knight. Rarely, she'd allow him to live and be her prisoner. 

 

Zuko never imagined he'd be a real prisoner. 

 

He feels humiliated after his sister sloughed off his attempt to challenge her to an Agni Kai. His shoulders hunch as he sits in the cave they're using to imprison him.

 

A scoff resounds from behind him. He hadn’t noticed he wasn’t alone.

 

“Why did they throw you in here? Oh wait. Let me guess. It's a trap. So when Aang shows up to rescue me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches.”

 

He winces at that. It might still be from the stinging of his sister’s ridicule, but honestly he’s just tired of fighting. Zuko’s eyes watch as her hands curl up into fists, imitating her words with her fingers. 

 

He’s too tired to care. 

 

“You're a terrible person, you know that?”

 

_ Yes, I do. _

 

“Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son.”

 

_ I am your loyal son! _

 

“Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood.”

 

All he can see is his father, and his upper lip curls into a snarl, his good eye narrowing but never straying from the cavern wall, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

He can feel the anger radiating like heat off of her body. She balls her hands into fists and pushes her body off of the ground with a ferocity that shouldn’t be rooted in such a young person. 

 

War does not spare children.

 

“I  _ don’t _ ?!” She spits at him. “How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through.” 

 

She touches the stone he’s all too familiar with, her hand hovering in front of her throat, “Me  _ personally _ !” She crouches down, turning away from him, but not before he can see the droplets making their way down her cheeks. “The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.”

 

His heart breaks.

 

All he can see is his beautiful mother, with her dark hair pulled back so her eyes can shine. He knows those eyes, he sees them in the mirror. Zuko remembers the turtle ducks and skipping rocks and stealing tarts from the kitchen. He remembers playing tag and hide-and-seek and pai sho. He remembers her teaching him how to sew and write and put his hair in a topknot. 

 

He also remembers her being torn from him. 

 

“I’m sorry.” 

 

And he means it. 

 

And then he says the thing he didn’t mean to say, as if the words are begging to be relieved from his tongue, “That’s something we have in common.”

 

Zuko turns his full attention to the waterbender, marveling as her body shakes with sobs from tears of a woman long lost to the war. His scar burns, almost as if he’s reliving the moment his father gave it to him. 

 

War does not spare children. 

 

Katara moves to sit with the bottoms of her feet touching one another, hands fiddling with fingers in her lap. She swipes under her eyes and nose with her sleeve, “I’m sorry I yelled at you before.” 

 

“It doesn’t matter,” Zuko answers, his eyes downcast.

 

And it doesn’t.

 

Katara shakes her head anyways, her hair shifting with the motion. Zuko crosses his legs, hands digging into the dirt of the cave. She takes a deep breath, as if preparing herself to admit a truth, “It’s just that...for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was  _ your face _ .”

 

Immediately Zuko’s hand flies to the left side of his face, covering his scar. His heart sinks, “ _ My face _ .” 

 

She shakes her head, “No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

 

As if taking the burden of the cosmos onto his shoulders, Zuko braces himself, squaring up his body as he faces her. “It’s okay, I understand.” He looks forward, still not facing her, but allowing the side with his scar to be what she sees. “I used to believe that this scar marked me.” 

 

His hands twitch in his lap, a smirk that has lost its bite hangs loosely on his lips. He’s mocking himself as he speaks, “ _ The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever! _ ”

 

Zuko sighs, shaking his head at himself, “But lately,” the image of freeing Appa at Lake Laogi repeats behind his eyelids as he closes them, “I’ve realized that I am free to determine my own destiny, even if I’ll never be free of my mark.”

 

“You could be free of it, though.”

 

Instantly he turns to her, curious as to why she would make even further mockery of him. “What?”

 

“I’m a healer,” she explains, “you saw it with your Uncle after Azula. I could heal you, too, Zuko.”

 

He shakes his head, “It’s a scar. It can’t be healed.” 

 

Katara makes a move for the band at her waist, and he’s unsure of what she plans to show him. Ordinary water, even with a healer’s hands, will not undo the tragedy from years ago.

 

“This,” she gestures to an ornate flask, adorned with shades of blue and engravings he can’t quite make out, “is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I’ve been saving it for something important.” 

 

His breathing quckens when she stands and approaches him, their bodies close. They’ve only ever been this close when they were throwing flames and water at one another, so this new closeness is strange. 

 

“I don’t know if it would work,” she admits, a slight shrug pulling at her shoulders. She reaches up, touching the marred flesh on his face.

 

He’s never let anyone do this, so he’s not quite sure why he’s allowing her. Maybe it’s because deep down he knows that Katara has a servant’s heart, and she wants to help anyone who she sees worthy.

If Katara thinks he’s worth saving, he should be, right? 

 

She runs the tips of her fingers over the scar, examining it as any other healer would. Zuko writes off the tingling in his flesh to be the scar tissue that’s not used to being touched. 

 

There’s an explosion of rock behind them, and suddenly the tingling turns to a fire as Zuko lands eyes on the Avatar.

 

“Aang!” Katara exclaims, running to him to embrace the young boy. She doesn’t see the glaring look he throws over her shoulder at Zuko. 

 

“Uncle,” Zuko sounds wounded as the older man wraps his arms around his nephew. “I don’t understand?”

 

“We’re here to save you,” Aang spats at him, standing squarely so he can attack at any moment necessary. Zuko lunges at him, but Iroh places his hands on Zuko’s shoulders roughly, digging his fingertips deep into his nephew’s skin, “It is far past time that you and I talked.”

 

Angry tears well up in Zuko’s eyes. The humiliation from his sister, the near promise of having his terrible reminder of his father’s disdain being wiped away, and the very stem of his dishonor stood in front of him in bright yellow and orange robes taunting him all at once is too much to bear. 

 

“ _ Why, Uncle _ ?” he pleads, trying desperately to understand. 

 

Iroh’s eyes are hard, peering right into Zuko’s being, “You are not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to this crossroads in your destiny.”

 

His uncle points to the entrance to the cave in which Azula threw Zuko down, and then to the hole in which he and Aang created. “It is time for you to choose,” Iroh tells him, prophetically, “It is time for you to choose  _ good _ .” 

 

Before Zuko can react, crystal erupts from underground and encases his uncle. 

 

“I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle,” her voice is like a snake, slithering its way into his mind, “but Zuko... _ Prince Zuko _ , you’re a lot of things, but you are not a traitor, are you?”

 

“Release him!” Zuko shouts, his voice hoarse with emotion.

 

War does not spare anyone.

 

“It’s not too late for you, Zuko,” Azula continues, curling her fingers lit with flames like talons. “You can still redeem yourself.” 

 

Images of his father loving him flash before him, thoughts fleeting because there are too many that he cannot focus on one long enough before another begins. He thinks of how his father would hug him, or escort him to Fire Lord meetings, or include him with war and peace plans. He wonders for a moment what it would really be like to have a  _ father _ .

 

And then he looks at his Uncle, encased in crystal. 

 

“The kind of redemption she offers is not for you,” Iroh reasons, pleading with Zuko. 

 

Azula is a predator, walking around Zuko in a circle, entrapping Iroh so he cannot fight, “Why don't you let him decide, Uncle?” She cuts her eyes at the stone encasement and then returns her gaze to her brother,”I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is  _ together _ . At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want.”

 

His father’s love? His honor restored? He could go  _ home _ ? 

 

Zuko’s eyes shine with unshed tears. 

 

_ Azula always lies. Azula always lies. Azula always lies. _

 

“Zuko, I am begging you,” Iroh pleads, tears of his own blemishing his face. “Look into your heart and see if this is what you  _ truly  _ want.”

 

Azula shrugs, as if this conversation was a waste of time, “You’re free to chose.”

 

She motions to the Dai Li warriors, and they release Iroh and move toward the direction of the waterbender and the Avatar. 

 

-

 

He hears her voice echoing in the cavern. 

 

Zuko charges into the cavern, throwing a blast of flame between Aang and Azula. He’s changed clothes, dipped himself in one of the nearby waterfalls, and feels new. He feels  _ good _ .

 

He draws closer to the bending masters, his firebending stance obvious. His eyes flicker to Azula, only to see the harsh gave of their father reflecting back at him. Zuko returns his eyes to the Avatar, and thinks momentarily about what his uncle told him. 

 

_ It is time to choose. _

 

Zuko punches forward, flames licking his skin. Aang reacts in barely enough time, missing the tendrils of flame by mere centimeters. They fight, and from the corner of his eye he can see Azula smirking, running into battle with the waterbender. 

 

Eventually, after trading blow-for-blow, the Avatar knocks Zuko onto his back by eathbending a stalactite in his direction. He watches ashis sister and Katara fight, both powerful women with opposing elements each holding their own. Soon, Katara has the upper hand, creating tentacles out of the water surrounding her, cutting off Azula’s footing.

 

Zuko breathes deep and thrusts himself in the air, twirling to gain momentum until he can flip at the correct angle to slice a blade of fire through Katara’s water tentacles. 

 

She stumbles, her hair fallen out of its tight plaiting. Azula makes a beeline for Aang but Zuko is thrown by Katara water-whipping him, causing his footing to stumble.

 

“I thought you had changed!” she cries, tears streaming down her face as she throws ice daggars at his body. 

 

They both create tendrils of their element, warring back and forth. Zuko breathes fire from his nostrils and looks her dead in the eyes, “I have changed. Do you trust me?”

 

Katara stops, quirking her head like a confused animal. Her water tentacles freeze in midair, “Do I  _ what _ ?”

 

Zuko thrusts himself forward and throws a blast of fire to the side of her. It startles her enough that he can get close to her, grasping her by the throat as if he were going to choke her. To Katara’s surprise, his hold is light, and she can still breathe. 

 

“Do you  _ trust _ me?” he asks, low.

 

Katara isn’t sure what comes over her, but in that moment, she realizes that she does. 

 

So she follows his lead. 

 

“You’re  _ dead _ , do you understand?” Zuko asks as his fingers tighten slightly around her neck. Katara nods, eyes subdued as she realizes what he has planned. He sighs, thrusting her to the ground as easily as he can, and under his breath he murmurs, “Azula always lies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh! we're finally getting to the deviations!!!
> 
>  
> 
> episodes referenced:   
> 2.20 the crossroads of destiny


	6. part five: beguilement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you've dishonored us all! your whole nation! your family! YOURSELF!  
> apparently i did that a long time ago. 
> 
> beguilement: to influence by trickery

Katara’s lids close and she hears Azula cackle from across the cavern. Her fingertips tingle with the knowledge of her element all around her, ready to spring into action if Zuko’s plan doesn’t work. She hears a loud thud and she forces her right eye to open the slightest.

“Nephew!” she hears Uncle Iroh’s cry. “What have you done?!”

Hands touch her shoulders, two fingers pressed against her neck, checking for a pulse.

“I’m okay,” she croaks, trying her best to keep quiet. “Zuko has a plan. Help Aang.”

Iroh sighs, a heated breath flowing over her body. “Good,” he answer her, brushing a lock of hair away from her sweat-dampened face, “I was in fear for my nephew’s destiny. Have fun playing dead. We’ll handle Azula.”

He stands and breathes fire toward his neice and nephew, “What have you done, Prince Zuko?!”

Aang is fending Azula’s blue fire off with waves of air and rock, playing the defensive in hopes the princess will tire from fighting. What he does not know is that conflict courses in her veins, keeping her alive.

“I have done what I had to do, Uncle,” Zuko answers, his eyes narrowed at his uncle, his stance firm as he plants himself next to Azula. “Now it is time to do what you have to do." 

Azula smirks over her shoulder, “You were always weak, Uncle. And you were weakening poor Zuzu too.” She pouts as if she pities her brother, tilting her head towards him. She smiles, and Zuko feels his hair stand up on his neck, “Now the waterbending peasant is finished, so the Avatar should not be a problem between the two of us, now should he, Zuzu?”

Zuko’s jawline twitches as he puts pressure on his muscles, nodding curtly at his sister. “Uncle,” he seethes through his teeth, “are you ready?”

From across the battlefield, Aang’s eyes start to water. “Z-Zuko?” He looks over at Katara’s lifeless body and before Zuko can say anything in defense, the boy thrusts himself upward with a propulsion of air.

“Now, Zuko!” Azula shouts, throwing a bolt of lightening in the air as the Avatar’s eyes begin to glow blue.

Zuko tries to kick a blast of fire to intercept her lightening, but he is too slow and it reaches the boy’s body before he can diffuse it. In the meantime, while Azula is watching her prey’s body collapse to the ground of the cavern, Uncle has created a bolt of lightening of his own and aimed it at the younger girl.

“Aang!” Katara’s voice cries, and Zuko knows that Azula will understand what has happened. He watches as her watery limbs thrust her forward to catch Aang just before he makes contact with the hard floor. She cushions his fall with a bed of water, cradling his body to her.

“Go!” Iroh shouts, not turning his head from Azula’s position in front of him. “I will hold her off for as long as I can!”

Azula’s eyes narrow, cutting straight at Zuko. He feels the crackle of her lightning before he sees it, “So you’ve betrayed me too, Zuzu?” She holds the blue bolt at her fingertips, curling it around her long nails, “You’ve dishonored us all. Your whole nation! Your family!” She throws the bolt at him while screaming, “Yourself!”

Before Zuko knows what is happening, Iroh steps in front of him and redirects the lightening; he holds it with one hand, transferring it through his body before having it travel along his opposite arm. It shakes the floor where Azula is standing, and the impact throws her backward.

“Apparently I did that years ago,” Zuko tells her, his fire in his hands dying as he watches her struggle to get up.

His uncle turns to him, a look of admiration on his face, “Let us go, Prince Zuko. We must get the Avatar to safety.”

The rush out of the cave, following the path Katara has begun to take, Aang cradled in her arms. Iroh blasts the entrance with a bolt of fire, causing the earth around them to crumble.

“That should hold her off,” he mentions as they continue running. “Not for long, but long enough.”

They’re met outside the cavern with Appa holding a slew of people, all cradled in the bison’s saddle. As soon as Sokka’s eyes land on the fire prince, he unsheaths his sword and points the tip at the firebender’s face, “It’s Zuko!”

“Uh, yeah,” Zuko waves, “I’m with you now.”

Sokka’s eyes are ablaze, the blue burning bright like Azula’s fire, “I _don’t_ believe you.”

Toph nods at the older man who is trying to climb up Appa’s leg hair, “That’s the Uncle that everyone knows. If he’s with Sparky, we’re all okay.”

Zuko’s head tilts like a confused animal, but he follows Uncle up the side of the sky bison’s leg and into the saddle. Katara is cradling Aang like a child, tears streaming down her face. She uncaps the familiar vial of Spirit Water and takes a small portion to wrap around her fingers. Zuko watches in amazement as it glows blue around her hands and she presses it into Aang’s body.

Iroh is enraptured, watching as the disk of water slips it’s way into the cracks and crevices of Aang’s body. Appa takes off into the air, flying high above the clouds, and the intensity of the new, thinner atmosphere takes its toll on Zuko’s lungs. He gasps for breath, his hand clutching his throat.

“Be still, my nephew,” Iroh murmurs, holding Zuko firmly by the shoulders.

They hear another figure gasp, and everyone’s heads turn.

“Aang!” Sokka holds the hand of his friend. Katara grasps him close, hugging him as she cries. Zuko doesn’t know how to process all of the emotion, and his head hurts, and there’s a bear sitting next to him. It’s all too much.

And so he faints. 

-

“Chameleon Bay?”

“Yes, Chameleon Bay. Dad should be there. We can meet up with him. Maybe they’ll have food, somewhere for us all to sleep.”

“I need to heal Aang again.”

“Oh, guys, Sparky is awake.”

Zuko groans, holding his throbbing head. He hears the familiar voice of his uncle beside him, “Ah, Prince Zuko, you are finally awake!”

The young nephew rolls his eyes, sitting up and bracing himself against the bison’s saddle. “What’s going on?” he asks, looking around them. Uncle holds him firmly by the shoulder, “We are on the Avatar’s flying bison, headed toward Chameleon Bay to meet up with the young water tribe sibling’s father while Katara heals the Avatar from a fatal injury by your sister’s lightening bolt.”

“And that’s all?” Zuko deadpans.

Iroh smiles, sitting up straighter, “Oh, and did you know that young Lady Toph here is actually the Blind Bandit!?”

Zuko narrows his eyes at his uncle, “No, I did not.”

“Now I believe you’re up to date,” Iroh grins.

“How long was I out?” Zuko asks, rubbing the back of his head.

Sokka grins at him from across the saddle, “A while." 

Zuko rolls his eyes and his stomach growls loudly. He sighs and touches his belly, feeling the hollowness there. He looks at his Uncle, “Is there anywhere you know we can go?”

“All the safe places I knew of were in the Earth Kingdom, my nephew,” Iroh explains, his eyes sad, “and the Fire Nation has now taken Ba Sing Se.”

A sour feeling swirls around Zuko’s belly, bile rising in his throat at the thought of his sister on the throne that once belonged to the ruler of the Earth Kingdom. He swallows anyways, and surveys the rest of his surroundings. The wind whistles loudly in his ears, but he has adjusted to the altitude. His head is no longer spinning.

He sees _her_.

She’s gently cradling the Avatar’s body in her own arms, her hands glowing blue again as she tends to his wound.

“We’ll be to Chameleon Bay soon,” Sokka shouts over the wind, “my father will have some answers.” 

-

A sea of blue in a field of green proves that Sokka was right.

Hakoda and his men are waiting, ready to help wherever necessary.

The Earth King leaves with Bosco, and it isn’t long before the sea is overrun with the Fire Nation. They’re bleeding like a sickness into the sea of the Earth Kingdom.

Zuko feels his resolve weakening each day, his respect for the Fire Nation dwindled to nothing but a small flame.

“C’mon!” Sokka shouts, throwing another Fire Nation soldier over the side of their boat. “Let’s go!”

They board the ship, disguising themselves as one of the Fire Nation.

It’s like Zuko never left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys like where this is going!! feel free to leave me some comments, they'd be much appreciated! i've kind of decided i'm only writing this story for my own entertainment lol, but thank you for the kudos and the bookmarks!!
> 
> episodes referenced:   
> 2.20 the crossroads of destiny  
> 3.01 the awakening


	7. metanoia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> trying to change the color of the cloth will not erase the burden of the past, katara.
> 
> metanoia: the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self, or way of life"

Katara’s lids close and she hears Azula cackle from across the cavern. Her fingertips tingle with the knowledge of her element all around her, ready to spring into action if Zuko’s plan doesn’t work. She hears a loud thud and she forces her right eye to open the slightest.

 

“Nephew!” she hears Uncle Iroh’s cry. “What have you done?!”

 

Hands touch her shoulders, two fingers pressed against her neck, checking for a pulse.

  
“I’m okay,” she croaks, trying her best to keep quiet. “Zuko has a plan. Help Aang.”

 

Iroh sighs, a heated breath flowing over her body. “Good,” he answer her, brushing a lock of hair away from her sweat-dampened face, “I was in fear for my nephew’s destiny. Have fun playing dead. We’ll handle Azula.”

 

He stands and breathes fire toward his niece and nephew, “What have you done, Prince Zuko?!”

 

Aang is fending Azula’s blue fire off with waves of air and rock, playing the defensive in hopes the princess will tire from fighting. What he does not know is that conflict courses in her veins, keeping her alive.

 

“I have done what I had to do, Uncle,” Zuko answers, his eyes narrowed at his uncle, his stance firm as he plants himself next to Azula. “Now it is time to do what you have to do.”

 

Azula smirks over her shoulder, “You were always weak, Uncle. And you were weakening poor Zuzu too.” She pouts as if she pities her brother, tilting her head towards him. She smiles, and Zuko feels his hair stand up on his neck, “Now the waterbending peasant is finished, so the Avatar should not be a problem between the two of us, now should he, Zuzu?”

 

Zuko’s jawline twitches as he puts pressure on his muscles, nodding curtly at his sister. “Uncle,” he seethes through his teeth, “are you ready?”

 

From across the battlefield, Aang’s eyes start to water. “Z-Zuko?” He looks over at Katara’s lifeless body and before Zuko can say anything in defense, the boy thrusts himself upward with a propulsion of air.

 

“Now, Zuko!” Azula shouts, throwing a bolt of lightning in the air as the Avatar’s eyes begin to glow blue.

 

Zuko tries to kick a blast of fire to intercept her lightening, but he is too slow and it reaches the boy’s body before he can diffuse it. In the meantime, while Azula is watching her prey’s body collapse to the ground of the cavern, Uncle has created a bolt of lightning of his own and aimed it at the younger girl.

 

“Aang!” Katara’s voice cries, and Zuko knows that Azula will understand what has happened. He watches as her watery limbs thrust her forward to catch Aang just before he makes contact with the hard floor. She cushions his fall with a bed of water, cradling his body to her.

 

“Go!” Iroh shouts, not turning his head from Azula’s position in front of him. “I will hold her off for as long as I can!”

 

Azula’s eyes narrow, cutting straight at Zuko. He feels the crackle of her lightning before he sees it, “So you’ve betrayed me too, Zuzu?” She holds the blue bolt at her fingertips, curling it around her long nails, “You’ve dishonored us all. Your whole nation! Your family!” She throws the bolt at him while screaming, “Yourself!”

 

Before Zuko knows what is happening, Iroh steps in front of him and redirects the lightening; he holds it with one hand, transferring it through his body before having it travel along his opposite arm. It shakes the floor where Azula is standing, and the impact throws her backward.

 

“Apparently I did that years ago,” Zuko tells her, his fire in his hands dying as he watches her struggle to get up.

 

His uncle turns to him, a look of admiration on his face, “Let us go, Prince Zuko. We must get the Avatar to safety.”

 

The rush out of the cave, following the path Katara has begun to take, Aang cradled in her arms. Iroh blasts the entrance with a bolt of fire, causing the earth around them to crumble.

 

“That should hold her off,” he mentions as they continue running. “Not for long, but long enough.”

 

They’re met outside the cavern with Appa holding a slew of people, all cradled in the bison’s saddle. As soon as Sokka’s eyes land on the fire prince, he unsheathes his sword and points the tip at the firebender’s face, “It’s Zuko!”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Zuko waves, “I’m with you now.”

 

Sokka’s eyes are ablaze, the blue burning bright like Azula’s fire, “I _don’t_ believe you.”

 

Toph nods at the older man who is trying to climb up Appa’s leg hair, “That’s the Uncle that everyone knows. If he’s with Sparky, we’re all okay.”

 

Zuko’s head tilts like a confused animal, but he follows Uncle up the side of the sky bison’s leg and into the saddle. Katara is cradling Aang like a child, tears streaming down her face. She uncaps the familiar vial of Spirit Water and takes a small portion to wrap around her fingers. Zuko watches in amazement as it glows blue around her hands and she presses it into Aang’s body.

 

Iroh is enraptured, watching as the disk of water slips its way into the cracks and crevices of Aang’s body. Appa takes off into the air, flying high above the clouds, and the intensity of the new, thinner atmosphere takes its toll on Zuko’s lungs. He gasps for breath, his hand clutching his throat.

 

“Be still, my nephew,” Iroh murmurs, holding Zuko firmly by the shoulders.

 

They hear another figure gasp, and everyone’s heads turn.

 

“Aang!” Sokka holds the hand of his friend. Katara grasps him close, hugging him as she cries. Zuko doesn’t know how to process all of the emotion, and his head hurts, and there’s a bear sitting next to him. It’s all too much.

 

And so he faints.

 

-

 

“Chameleon Bay?”

 

“Yes, Chameleon Bay. Dad should be there. We can meet up with him. Maybe they’ll have food, somewhere for us all to sleep.”

 

“I need to heal Aang again.”

 

“Oh, guys, Sparky is awake.”

 

Zuko groans, holding his throbbing head. He hears the familiar voice of his uncle beside him, “Ah, Prince Zuko, you are finally awake!”

 

The young nephew rolls his eyes, sitting up and bracing himself against the bison’s saddle. “What’s going on?” he asks, looking around them. Uncle holds him firmly by the shoulder, “We are on the Avatar’s flying bison, headed toward Chameleon Bay to meet up with the young water tribe sibling’s father while Katara heals the Avatar from a fatal injury by your sister’s lightning bolt.”

 

“And that’s all?” Zuko deadpans.

 

Iroh smiles, sitting up straighter, “Oh, and did you know that young Lady Toph here is actually the Blind Bandit!?”

 

Zuko narrows his eyes at his uncle, “No, I did not.”

 

“Now I believe you’re up to date,” Iroh grins.

 

“How long was I out?” Zuko asks, rubbing the back of his head.

 

Sokka grins at him from across the saddle, “A while.”

 

Zuko rolls his eyes and his stomach growls loudly. He sighs and touches his belly, feeling the hollowness there. He looks at his Uncle, “Is there anywhere you know we can go?”

 

“All the safe places I knew of were in the Earth Kingdom, my nephew,” Iroh explains, his eyes sad, “and the Fire Nation has now taken Ba Sing Se.”

 

A sour feeling swirls around Zuko’s belly, bile rising in his throat at the thought of his sister on the throne that once belonged to the ruler of the Earth Kingdom. He swallows anyways, and surveys the rest of his surroundings. The wind whistles loudly in his ears, but he has adjusted to the altitude. His head is no longer spinning.

 

He sees _her_.

 

She’s gently cradling the Avatar’s body in her own arms, her hands glowing blue again as she tends to his wound.

 

“We’ll be to Chameleon Bay soon,” Sokka shouts over the wind, “my father will have some answers.”

 

-

 

A sea of blue in a field of green proves that Sokka was right.

 

Hakoda and his men are waiting, ready to help wherever necessary.

 

The Earth King leaves with Bosco, and it isn’t long before the sea is overrun with the Fire Nation. They’re bleeding like a sickness into the sea of the Earth Kingdom.

 

Zuko feels his resolve weakening each day, his respect for the Fire Nation dwindled to nothing but a small flame.

 

“C’mon!” Sokka shouts, throwing another Fire Nation soldier over the side of their boat. “Let’s go!”

 

They board the ship, disguising themselves as one of the Fire Nation.

 

It’s like Zuko never left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh zutara!!! this is where it really starts deviating from the storyline. i hope you all like it :)
> 
> episodes mentioned:   
> 3.01 the awakening


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